Trimble fails in re-election bid

Northern Ireland was plunged into a fresh crisis today as David Trimble lost his bid to return to the job of First Minister.

He lost by a single vote in the province's devolved assembly, as two members of his own Ulster Unionist Party broke ranks and failed to back their leader.

The defeat is a huge setback for the peace process which appeared to be back on track after last week's move by the IRA to begin decommissioning its weapons.

Ulster Secretary John Reid must now decide once more whether to suspend the assembly or dissolve it and order fresh elections.

He was expected to embark on consultations over the weekend with the pro-Good Friday Agreement parties before reaching his decision. Suspension would infuriate Republicans and set back hopes for further decommissioning.

Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness and DUP leader Ian Paisley immediately called on the Government to order fresh assembly elections. Their hardline parties would be best placed to benefit from new elections, making the province even more ungovernable.

Mr Trimble said: "The vote has not been effective because of the particular rules that have been adopted, and the way in which a couple of individuals have exploited that situation for reasons-they need to explain themselves."

There were suggestions that Mr Reid could order a temporary suspension to allow time for a change in the rules, so it was possible to re-elect Mr Trimble with fewer votes.

The two rebel UUP assembly members, Pauline Armitage and Peter Weir, staged their protest because they do not believe the IRA is sincere.

Today they released a transcript of a meeting they held with General John de Chastelain, head of the international decommissioning body, which made clear how few details are available of what arms were decommissioned, where, when or how.

Mr Trimble needed a majority of both the nationalist and the unionist assembly members. He was defeated in the unionist section by the combined forces of the DUP and his own party rebels. In a procedural manoeuvre, Jane Morrice of the non-sectarian Women's Coalition temporarily designated herself as a unionist in order to back Mr Trimble, but her support was not enough.

Before the result of the vote was known a Government source warned that if no First Minister could be elected, "the options are grim."

The source said: "Suspension of the political institutions would be seen as an act of bad faith after the IRA's historic move on decommissioning last week. Elections are a real possibility but we haven't committed ourselves to any course of action."

DUP leader Ian Paisley immediately called for new elections to the new Assembly. He said: "We need democracy re-established at Stormont.

"At last we have given them the bloody nose they deserve for those who took part in the charade of decommissioning."

There was unanimous support for Mr Trimble among nationalists on the assembly.